glbarlow

I'm near complete with Chapter 10 and will post more soon.


Meanwhile, with the transom cap rail added the stern is officially complete.  The model has come a long way from it being framed out, looks just a tad different now.

Chapter 9, Forecastle deck, is Complete
 
A big event for me, 9 of the 12 chapters are now complete with over two years gone by since I began. Chapter 9 is devoted to the forecastle deck and all the details that set it apart. My last post, a single photo, showed a lot of the deck complete, I’ll back up a bit to show how I got there. It’s a long post so hopefully it’s worth the read.


Like the outboard planks the center line follows the “every plank a project” with each plank unique widths and cuts. The center three planks are the interior width of the bitts divided by three (as the template shows). The planks meeting the bitt posts on either side are also a custom width. The forecastle bitts line up with the base installed below on the main deck making them seem one. This is a cool, but unfortunately barely visible detail. Someone suggested mini wireless camera under there, that might be fun.
 
I’d done complex cut-outs to fit around the main deck hatches, nonetheless these take time and patience to get a precise fit. Since the main deck I’ve acquired this very thin, small razor saw with micro-teeth that made the cross cut cleaner than with the #11 blade still used for length wise cuts.


While the mast ring provided is certainly fine I just can’t seem to remove enough char to make it work for me. So like I did for Cheerful I made my own.  They’re kinda fun to make, using a square of boxwood heavily glued to a wooden dowel and turned on the mill. The outside and inside diameter is measured and cut to form a ring, then I use some router cutters and totally wing it to create the design. I freed it from the post carefully with acetone, painted the inside Matte Black, added two coats of WOP and it’s done. Fun.

I’ve since made another for the mizzen. I had to force myself to keep this one simpler.

The catheads were made up and added. The challenge is to get the right angles, which hopefully I did. The bigger challenge is having installed one then installing the second the exact same - lots of test fitting on both separate and together before either was glued in. I’m glad I cut the rail before doing the planking. I like the extra detail of the cat beam running under the deck planking. (They are the same, the photo is slightly angled and tilted).


I posted earlier I’d gone a different direction with the belfry using a flat rope pull to the front shaped from a small bit of blackened brass and heavily weathering the roof to simulate lead. It and the forecastle rails were added, these are laser cut to fit either port or starboard, so being careful with that and a little sanding to match up to my version of the beam and they’re on. Glue and clamp in two stages, inside then outside, easier to maintain alignment. (again a little warp on the photo not the model, I need to learn to hold my iPhone straighter).
 

I noticed, and not sure how I’d missed, in the single photo I posted earlier the hatches weren’t done properly. I had two choices, leave them as they were or replace them. Who am I kidding, once I noticed it I had one choice. I was able to remove and replace them without damaging the coaming, a few coats of WOP later…
 
The spanshackle cleats are not glued in. I’m not sure I like what I made with flattened 22 gauge wire so I may come back to those later.

Up next the forecastle rails and timber heads. First I tested the fit of the rails to my bow. It’s quite remarkable (as in how did I happen to manage that…) how well they fit. As with the cap rail the key was pulling out the Chapter 9 templates long long ago when the bow was being constructed around chapter 2-3. The tape is there because the little timber heads kept flipping out of my fingers into an area it’s’ now difficult to access.

Then I got to spend lots of time with sanding sticks and a #11 blade shaping 24 little timber heads. Time consuming but well worth the time for the final look. Can’t wait for the Q-deck timber heads, lots more of them. A fun, and lengthy, process was slowly sanding and shaping the cat block to follow the curve and width of the rail plus adding the additional two cleats and support posts. A good time was had by all. They have detail that is lost in the photo due to the black paint.

First starboard then port to complete the fitting, painting, and installing the rails. These rails are extremely delicate. I broke both of them at one point or another. Fortunately they were clean breaks and I was able to repair them, after light sanding and painting the breaks aren’t visible. Once again where’s the fun if I don’t have to fix something I broke.
 
With that, some photos of the completed forecastle: 





I’m pretty happy with how it all turned out. The AYC planking, boxwood fittings, black painted railing, and RED bulwarks and breasthook really look distinctive and pretty cool I think. This is really the first element that is totally finished. A nice sense of accomplishment, and an early concern about what will I do when the whole model is finished, oh no.

The chapter 10 parts are laid out and the planking ripped and ready for work on the Q-deck. Thanks as always for stopping by with your comments and likes, hope you made it to the end of this long post.
 

Continued progress on chapter 10. 

The deck furniture is just roughly sitting there, still more work to do on wheel plus the final outer row of planking to add. Mini-me dropped by, I like that he provides scale to see just how big this ship was in reality. 

I'm near complete with Chapter 10 and will post more soon.


Meanwhile, with the transom cap rail added the stern is officially complete.  The model has come a long way from it being framed out, looks just a tad different now.

I can delete this photo, I generally don’t like other models in my log. However I thought sharing how my cheeks and hair brackets lined up might be of help, especially given how different they are or at least for comparison. 
 

Excellent work Dusan. Lots of details in this phase. Well done. 

With each project the level of detail increases tenfold. Quite amazing. 

With each project the level of detail increases tenfold. Quite amazing. 

With each project the level of detail increases tenfold. Quite amazing. 

With each project the level of detail increases tenfold. Quite amazing. 

With each project the level of detail increases tenfold. Quite amazing. 

Excellent work Dusan. Lots of details in this phase. Well done. 

Thanks Chuck. Absolutely, I’ve been forward to these next steps, fun stuff. 

Thank you!

Thanks Rusty, I kind of feel that it is…no more big stuff. 

27 months after starting the Last Plank has been laid (More coats of WOP to come). 

The two center outer rows were a treat (that’s what I say when endeavoring to be positive). 

Amazing craftsmanship. Well done! Excellent photography as well.

That paintwork is amazing!

No gaps to worry about Mike...you will see when you get to this point.   Here is the step by step to finish the bulkhead.  These are my notes so I dont forget how I did it.  
 
Once the bulkhead is glued into position we need to add another layer on the aft side.  This will make the aft side nice and smooth and even and neaten it all up.  I am referring to the two strakes below the windows and the uprights between the windows.  All are laser cut.
 

Now we can finally cut away the beam within the doorway and the other straps as well.  Do this carefully with a fine toothed saw.  I use a fine toothed scroll saw blade in an Xacto blade handle.  The bulkhead layers make it all sturdy but you still need a light touch.  No hurry with this.  Below you can see the open space for the doorway after I cut them away and then sanded the sides of the opening flush with a sanding stick.  You can also see the door laying there.  I finished the other side which gets another layer of .025 cedar with another panel...unpainted.  The small strip you see there becomes the saddle in the doorway that the door will rest on top of.  It is a 5/32" x 3/64" strip.  The same thickness as the planking wee will use on the gun deck.
 

Testing the door in position...which is wider than you will need.  Sand it to fit the opening...and tweak the opening as well.  A little sanding with a sanding stick on both will insure a nice fit.  Note how the door is sitting on top of that saddle strip.   The door is not glued in position yet.   It is just a test for the next step...the rounded top frame.  The first .025 layer can be seen in the same photo ready to go.  See it laying on the deck?
 

This first layer (of four) is .025 thick.  It is a little taller than you will need.  So while the door is resting in the opening,  set it in position.  You will see a gap along the top of the door.  Sand the bottom of this arch a little at a time until that gap closes up.     Then glue it to the front side of the two tabs sticking up. Sand the seams flat and paint the front face red.  Then one by one there are three more layers of this arch.   Next the 3/64" thick piece.  Then another .025 and lastly another 3/64" thick arch.  This will make the top arch above the door nice and sturdy.  Now you are ready to finish it up...
 
Note…dont bother cleaning the char from the edges of these pieces.  You will distort the curves and it wont match the top of the door.  This wont be seen at all.  You can lightly sand the top of the arch once all the layers are glued in position.  But just a little.  That will be covered up also.
 

 
You can now place the margin plank along the front of the whole bulkhead.  It will hang over the front slightly.   It will also leave a nice rabbet on the aft side for the qdeck planking.  It is a 1/4" x 3/64 strip.  Just round off the forward edge and cut it to length on both sides of the arched door frame. The last piece will now cover up all those layers of the arched top.  It is laser cut for you.   There is a handle on the part so you can sand the char from the outside of this piece without breaking it.  It is a bit fragile  ( I will provide a few extra).   Once the char is removed then cut it free from the handle.  Dont bother sanding the underside of this piece.   Once again it wont be seen.  The forward edge is rounded off.  The aft side remains flat.  You can see it glued on top of the arch in the photo below.   It is 7/32" wide and all the pieces are flush on the aft side of the platform.  It is basically an extension of the margin plank around the top of the arch to clean it all up.   
 

We havent glued the door in yet so we can remove it and add the laser cut hinges.  You can also add the door knobs.  That is your choice...a simple knob or maybe a pull handle.   I prefer bending some brass strip and making a pull handle.   Then you can glue the door in position and the bulkhead is complete.

Design prototype for the fancy bulkhead....version 4b and counting.   I really dont want to build version 5.   But its getting close.   This one is so close.....
 


 
Chuck

Amazing details. 

Amazing details. 

Amazing details. 

Working steady now on the model which is good.   I doing this while laser cutting parts for those first two chapters.
 
The lower bulkhead against the aft platform was next.  This is pretty easy and straight forward.  But before I can get to work on that I have to add the gun deck clamps for the beams.  There are many ways to find the height for the deck clamp.  But I chose to create another template.  Its just easier for me.   And I hope for you as well.   Place it on the model with some tape.  The top edge of the template under that inboard shear plank.  Then trace along the bottom edge of the template to mark the TOP of the deck clamp.
 

The deck clamp is made using two lengths of 1/4 x 1/16 cedar strips.  Just follow the line you made.  The top of the strips against your line.  This chapter will come supplied with a few gun deck beams.  You can see I cleaned the char off one in that same photo.  I cut it to length and test fit it in position.  It should slide right up against the great cabin planking.   Hopefully you have the height of your deck clamps equal on both sides so you dont have a sloped deck beam...
 

I have that beam sitting on the side while I take the two pieces that are laser cut for the lower bulkhead.  Its all etched and ready to go.  You just have to clean any char and tweak its shape a bit.  You want to get a pretty good tight fit against the bulwarks on each side.   But remember you will have a gap where the inboard planking would have been.   Thats fine.  So you have some leeway here.   The inboard edge of each bulkhead should be flush with the opening for the stairs.   You can see this in the photo below while giving it a test fit.
 

I applied some finish to each piece before gluing it in position.   One note however.   Continue to test fit both sides of the bulkhead....with the beam in position.   You will see that after tweaking its shape that it sticks up beyond the deck beam.   That is by design...so leave that as is.   You may have to adjust as needed on your model depending on how far apart your platforms are.  But this small lip will be important later when we add the next bulkhead on top of that beam.

That next fancy bulkhead is my next project.   The plan fits really good so now I just have to spend the next couple of weeks turning this bulkhead into parts that look convincing.  Its a major focal point for the model so I will spend a lot of time getting the details and design just right.  Hopefully.  That first quarter deck beam is not glued in position yet.   Its just there to help me plan out my next moves for this bulkhead.   The windows and door will be a challenge for sure.  But I am eager to get started.
 

 
 
 

27 months after starting the Last Plank has been laid (More coats of WOP to come). 

The two center outer rows were a treat (that’s what I say when endeavoring to be positive).